Continuous centrifugal casting machine



June 28, 1927. 1,634,150

L. T. KNOCKE CONTINUOUS CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed March '7. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR llll @KVM I 1,634 150 June 1927' T. KNOCKE CONTINUOUS CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed March 7, 1923 2 Sheets-Shet 2 ATTORNEY Patented June 28, 1927. i i i t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. it

LOU IS. T. KNOCKE, OF 'WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN.

- CONTINUOUS CENTTRIIUGAL OASTING MACHINE.

Application fled Iarchl, 1928. Serial No. 823,415. g This invention has for its object to pro- A drive wheel 16 is fixed on the shaft 14 vide a casting machine for producing castbetween the bearings and is provided with ings in rotary molds in a'continuousoperaa raised shouldered tread to fit within the tion so that the metal may be poured and the grooved tread of a pair of spool shaped molds 60 finished casting ejected without stopping the 17, which are driven therefrom.

rotation of the mold. These molds are held with pressure against Another object of the invention is to'prothe tread f h d ive he v 16 n are vide a centrifugal casting machine adapted oscillated back and forth between a filling to assume a horizontal position for cylindriposition and a mold discharging position-by 65 cal casting or an inclined position for closed ing onfined between said driving wheel end casting. and pairs of rollers 18 and 19 carried by a Another object of the invention-is to pror k ng frame 20, which iS- mounted to vide a centrifugal casting machine having a oscillate on said bearings of the main frame.

plurality of centrifugal molds capable of be- The pp P Of the rocking frame e ing shifted inposition with respect to filling g nerally speaking, of a heart shape and is and ejecting mechanism, whereby on e mold of I-beam cross-section, as seen in Figs- 2 may be poured while the ca ting is b ing and 4, with the pairs of rollers 18 and 19 ejected from another meld, mounted on opposite sides thereof and bear Another object of this invention is to pering on the flanged portions of the tread of 75 fect details of construction of a machine of he pool Shape molds 17. Just beneath the this type. rollers 18 the rocking frame is forked, as With the above and other objects in view seen in Fig. 4:, to straddle the drive wheel the invention consists in the continuous'cenand its lower P consists of two P8194" trifugal casting machine as herein claimed, tively heavy'sector shaped members con- 50 its parts andcombinations ofparts and all stituting counter-weights for counterbalancequivalents. r ingit to make it easy to shift it from one Referring to the accompanying drawings position to another, either by hand or by in which like characters of reference indicate mechanism not shown. the same parts in different views, The range of movement of the rocking 30 Fig. 1 is an end view of a. machine conframe is such that either of the rotary molds structed in accordance with this invention; 17 may be brought to a central filling posi- Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional tion and, when it is occupying that position, view thereof; Y the other mold is in a discharge position at Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the method one corner of the frame. In or er to exactly of ejecting the castings, and A determine these positions of t rocking Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the frame adjusting screws 21 are provided on rocking frame. I the front counterweight thereof to engage a i In these drawings, 10 indicates a base or stationary stop 22 on frame 11 and, to firmly support to which the main frame 11 is p'ivhold the roclnng frame in its operative posl- 5 otally connected at 12 so as to be capable of, tions, a spring pressed bolt 23 mounted in a horizontal position or an inclined position, the frame 11 is adapted to engage its knife as shown, according to whether cylindrical edge more or less positively 1n recesses or castings, such as bushings, or end closed castnotches 24 formed in sald counter-weight, ings, such as tappets, are produced. Slotted either re uiring force to overcome the latch 00 45 links 13 connect the base 10 with the frame or a' wit drawal of the latch before er- 11 to support and clamp it in the desired mitting the rockin frame'to be swtmg. e angular adjustment and these links may be cam engagement 0 the latch bolt 23 with its of such length as to permit of the frame berecess is, of course, of such an extent as to ing. swung from a horizontal position to a permit of the entire range of adjustment of 50 vertical position. the stop screws 21 and tends to crowd the .The frame 11 comprises front and rearstop screws against the stop.. 7 members forming bearings for a driving The means'for exerting pressure agamst' shaft 14 which may be driven by a motor in the rotary .mol-ds 17 to hold them in driving any suitable manner as by means of a' confrictional contact with the surface of the nection with a pulley 15 on the end of the driving wheel 16 may consist in mounting shaft. the central rollers 19 m a spring presse hearing block 25, slidably mounted in ways in the rocking frame20. Both molds 17 are thus crowded into the. crotches between the driving wheel 16 and the -rollers 1-8. The

degree of pressure thus exerted may be varied. by turning a screw stem 26, which is threaded in said bearing block 25 and forms a spring seat for a coiled spring 27 housed within the cover plate 28 for the block ways. By extending the screw stem 26 from the bearing block the spring 27 is subjected to greater pressure and consequently the molds my: liield more firmly against the driving w ee.

. Mounted on the front portion of the frame groove of the stem prevents the stem from turning, while a wedge pin 34, passing through an opening in the stem and bearing against the end of the bearing, serves to adjust the stem longitudinally, whereby the mold pouring member 29 may be set very close to the end of the mold 17 without interfering with the rotation of-the mold and without afiording 'sutficient space to permit the formation of fins on the casting. Similarly positioned on the back of the frame 11 is a spindle 35, rotatably mounted in bearlugs and driven by a cross belt 36. from pulley 15 at the same speed as the mold and provided with a head 37, also closely positioned with respect to the end of the mold to close the other end of the mold cavity. Suitable mean not shown, may be provided for accurately adjusting the position of the head 37 with res ect to the end of the mold to accomplish epurpose of closing the mold cavlty without interfering with the shifting movements'of the mold.

At the corners of the front portion of the frame 11 are mounted spring pressed ejectmg plungers 38 in register with the mold cavities of the molds 17 when they are in their discharged-positions and, when the are depressed, their shouldered conical en s are adaptedtonter the mold cavities and engage the castings .39 and" eject them into recelving tubes 40 mounted on the corners of the rearsection of frame 11. A.- knob 41 is loosely mounted on the headed end of the e ectingplunger 38, so that the plunger is freeto turn'with the mold while the knob is held inthe hand, and this knob is hollow and to discharge openings in its flanged conical- In operation measured quantities of mol-- ten metal may be poured into the funnel 29, from which it will flow into the mold cavity of the rapidly rotating mold 17 and congeal upon the walls of said mold cavity with a center cavity of its own depending in shape upon the degree of inclination of the machine. When the machine is positioned with itsaxis horiozntal, said center cavity of the casting will be uniform from end to end thereof and resemble a bore of uniform diameter, but when the machine is inclined the molten metal will tend to flow to the lower end of the mold-cavity'and'such bore of the casting will become tapering and, at suitable inclinations, will actually become closed as with the casting shown, which, in

this instance, is a tappet for valve rods of gas engines.

As soon as one mold has been poured, the rocking frame is shifted to its other position, thus bringing the other mold in position to be poured, while the casting is carried into alignment with one of the ejecting plungers and is ejected thereby in the manner shown in Fig. 3,.the mold cavity in the meantime being freed from scale or loose particles of metal by the air blast from the plunger. The second mold may be filled while the castin is being ejected from the first mold and then the rocking frame is returned to its original position and the pouring and ejecting operations are repeated, making a continuous operation, while the driving of the molds and the mold cavity closing head 37 is continued without interruption.

Machines of this character are well adapted for casting light tubular or hollow arti else of semi-steel, iron, brass, babbitt and other metals, either with cylindrical or tapering outer or inner walls.

It will be appreciated that the position of the molds at all times is fixed against longi-' 1. In a centrifugal casting machine, I:

avmg amo I suitably mounted rotary mold cavity in its center, means for pouringthe mold, and reciprocating-plunger means for forcing the casting from the mold cavity while the mold is in motion.

. 2. In a centrifugal casting. machine, a suitably mounted rotary mold havin a central mold cavity, means for blocking the t thereto may thus be opposite ends of the mold cavity, one of said means constituting a pouring means throu h which molten material is introduced to t e mold cavity, and means, for movin the mold laterally from between the blocking means while contlnulng its rotation.

3. In a centrifugal casting machine, a suitably mount-ed rotary mold having a central mold cavity, blocking means for blocking the opposite ends of the mold cavity, pouring means through which the mo d cavity may be supplied with molten material while the mold is rotating between the blocking means, a casting ejector for forcing the casting out of the mold is rotating, and means for shifting the position of the mold while it is rotating from its filling position between the blocking means to its ejecting position in register with the ejector.

4. In a centrifugal casting machine, a rotary mold capable of movin from one position to another while being driven, a pair of blocking means for closing the ends of the mold cavity in one position of the mold, one of said blocking means rotating with the mold and the other being stationary and constituting a pouring means, and an ejector in the other position of the mold for ejecting the casting therefrom while the mold continues'to turn.

5. In a centrifugal casting machine, a drive wheel, a rocking frame. rollers carried by the rocking frame, molds' confined between the rollers and the drive wheel and driven thereby, a pouring means with which either of the molds may register, and ejecting means in position to register with whichever mold is not inregister with the pouring-means and adapted to eject the casting from the mold while it is turning.

6; In a. centrifugal castin driving wheel, a rocking rame, ro ers mold cavity while the.

machine amounted on the rocking frame, rotary molds rollers being movably mounted in the rocking frame and under pressure to hold the molds against the driving wheel with pressure, and mold pouring and casting ejectlng means with which said molds alternately register.

7. In a centrifugal casting machine, a. drive wheel having a double shouldered tread. a rotary mold having flanges bearing on the tread of the driving wheel and engaging the shoulders thereof, means for holding the mold in engagement with the driving 'wheel. and means for pouring the mold cavity and for forcing .the' casting therefrom while the'mold is thus held and driven.

'8. In a centrifugal casting machine, a suitably mounted driving wheel, a rocking frame mounted concentric therewith an carrying pairs fined between the rollers and the driving wheel, an adjustable spring pressure means for holding one pairof rollslwith pressure against the molds, pouring and ejecting means in position to register with the mol cavity in'the different positions of the rocking frame, counterbalance extensions on the rocking frame, adjustable stops for limiting the position of the rocking frame, and a spring latch for holding the locking frame in its adjusted position.

9. In a centrifugal casting .machine, a suitably mounted and driven rotary mol and a casting ejector comprising a spring pressed plunger, adapted to pass through the mold cavity, and means for discharging air through said plunger.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

LOUIS T. KNOCKE.

of rollers, rotary molds con-. 

